Careers in Video Game Sound Design

Games and interactive entertainment have become the largest entertainment sector and consumer market in the world; far outpacing both the film and music industries combined. The interactive entertainment industry has enjoyed over thirty years of growth and development, and is now a worldwide industry with combined sales of over $30 billion U.S. dollars. According to the industry-leading market research firm NPD Group; the US video game industry reached over $18 billion dollars of console systems and software sales alone (not including PC games or online revenue). This marks a 43 percent rise in revenue, with December 2006 marking a high point of almost $5 billion in combined monthly sales. As reported by Paul McDougall of Information Week on October of 2007, Microsoft released staggering sales figures for it’s flagship console title “Halo 3”: $300 million in the first week of release, and $170 million dollars of revenue in the first twenty-four hours of sales. Pre-orders for the title reached close to 2 million units pre-sold. The other major game publishers and hardware producers, including Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft all enjoyed record sales numbers throughout the year. The Entertainment Software Association - the leading research and advocacy group that is comprised of executives from the top video game companies in the US, Europe, and Japan; has issued an annual report detailing sales and performance figures in 2007.4 The report highlights expansion in age and gender demographic information as tied to video game use and sales.

Music, sound design, vocal production, and audio implementation are essential elements and job functions in game production. The game industry currently enjoys a strong demand for all facets of audio expertise, and there are a myriad of jobs available as the industry continues its meteoric rise. The Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) is the largest organization of game audio professionals in the world, with a membership of over 2500 in 29 countries since it’s inception.6 The Guild regularly reports on job opportunities, professional development activities, and program origination in the sector, and has seen a sharp rise in audio career opportunities in the US.

The intensive Video Game Sound Design program offers a robust, hands-on curriculum designed to equip students for success in entry-level positions with game companies around the world. Experienced game audio professionals earned an average salary of $78,000 in 2008, according to according to Game Developer magazine's survey.

Some of the jobs associated with game audio include but not limited to: